Bruce Willis Announces Retirement From Acting Due to Medical Diagnosis

By Patrick Cavanaugh

Bruce Willis' daughter Rumer took to Instagram to offer an official statement on behalf of their family, revealing that Bruce is stepping away from acting following his diagnosis of aphasia, which is a language disorder caused by brain damage that impacts the ability to communicate. One of Willis' last big-screen roles came in 2019's Motherless Brooklyn, which was directed by Edward Norton, while recent years have seen him keeping up quite a busy schedule, largely in smaller-budgeted action and thriller films. You can check out the post and the full statement from the Willis family below.

"To Bruce's amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him," the post reads. "This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion, and support. We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him."

The statement closes, "As Bruce always says, 'Live it up' and together we plan to do just that. Love, Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, & Evelyn."

The actor has amassed a staggering number of credits over his career, with his breakout role being the TV series Moonlighting, in which he starred alongside Cybill Shepherd. Known more for his comedic sensibilities and chemistry with his co-star, it was a major gamble to enlist Willis to star in the action film Die Hard in 1988, only for this to uncover an all-new skill in his arsenal, proving himself as a capable and charismatic action star. 

In the '90s, the actor was arguably one of the most beloved and bankable movie stars in Hollywood, starring in projects like The Last Boy Scout, Pulp Fiction, Armageddon, and The Fifth Element. Collaborations with filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan also earned him critical acclaim in projects like The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, with Willis shocking audiences in 2016 with a surprise cameo in Shyamalan's Split, revealing itself to be a secret sequel to Unbreakable. Willis reunited with Shyamalan again for 2019's Glass, which concluded the series about figures with otherworldly powers.

Our thoughts go out to Willis and his friends and family in this difficult time.

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